Public health informatics is the systematic application of knowledge about systems that capture, manage, analyze and use the information to improve population health. Moreover, The fully funded CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program (PHIFP)  provides applied public health informatics training for candidates of computer science and information technology to public health problems.

PHIFP is a 2-year, competency-based training program in public health informatics. Fellows are placed in assignments in centers and offices across CDC where they gain experiential training to enhance the agency’s informatics workforce.

The following list includes routine tasks for PHIFP fellows:

• Working with teams involved in the research and development of public health information systems.
• Conducting informatics evaluations on complex public health information systems.
• Contributing to the CDC’s emergency response activities.
• Providing technical assistance to state and local health departments as well as international public health agencies through short-term assignments, or Info-Aids.

Fully Funded CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship

Recipients of Fully Funded CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship will receive a stipend equivalent to GS 11 Step 3 or GS 12 Step 3 salary depending on their qualification. The fellows holding a doctoral-level degree who begin their fellowship program in the Classes of 2018 and beyond will receive an equivalent of a GS 12, Step 3 salary. Those holding a master’s level degree will receive the equivalent of a GS 11, Step 3 salary. Fellows may be eligible for a salary increase after one year of appointment, based on performance and recommendation by appropriate management officials.

Eligibility for the CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship

A candidate is eligible for the CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship if he/she has

• A doctoral (PhD, MD, PharmD) or Masters level degree from an accredited academic institution in one of the following:
  • Public health, medicine, health care, health services research; Computer science, information science, information systems; Statistics; Epidemiology; Public health informatics or related discipline
• one year of informatics experience for doctoral-level candidates or three years of informatics experience for masters level candidates
• one year of experience for doctoral-level candidates and three years of experience for masters level candidates
• Documented experience in performing research or evaluation during or after academic training
• Further, the fellows must verify that they are not a citizen of terrorism designated country.
• Non-U.S. citizens must be legal permanent residents or eligible for J1, TN, H-1B, or OPT-EAD (STEM Extension) visas prior to the program’s start date

How to apply for the CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship?

In order to apply for the CDC Public Health Informatics Fellowship, the candidates must complete and submit the online application form. Along with the application, the candidates must submit:

Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with your academic achievements, aspirations, personal qualities, as well as professional attributes. At least, two letters of recommendation must be from persons who are not a current employee at the CDC.

Your application requires copies of unofficial transcripts for all earned degrees or qualifying degrees in progress.

In case, a non-U.S. institution issues the transcript, candidates must take a foreign credential evaluation for all qualifying degrees in addition to the transcript. Further, the transcripts must be in English.

Deadline

CDC accepts the application for the Fully Funded Public Health Informatics Fellowship until 4 November 2019. Applications arriving after the deadline are not eligible for the fellowship.